PG&E

Tens of thousands of Californians may be forced to spend the next few days without power while dry, powerful winds slam the northern part of the state. PG&E said Tuesday it will likely cut power to about 54,000 customers in portions of 24 counties through Friday while much of Northern California remains under a red-flag […]

The closer the November election gets, the tenser California’s political climate becomes. Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra — both Democrats — sent a cease-and-desist letter Monday to the California Republican Party, demanding it remove unofficial ballot drop boxes set up outside of churches and gun shops in several counties. The […]

Another fire season, another investigation into whether PG&E equipment may have sparked a deadly blaze. This time, it’s the Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which has so far killed four people and destroyed more than 200 structures. Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency, took possession of PG&E equipment as part of its investigation into the […]

Two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an investigation into California’s first rolling blackouts in nearly two decades — during which time residents were twice warned that blackouts could return — a group of key state agencies released their preliminary findings. The findings raise serious questions about the ability of California’s electrical grid to […]

It pains me to begin yet another newsletter with this line, but dangerous fire weather is expected to persist across much of Northern California through Saturday amid dry, powerful winds and elevated temperatures — likely adding fuel to the Glass Fire tearing through Wine Country. The blaze, which has already forced nearly 100,000 evacuations and […]

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, September 29. Thousands evacuating, three dead The worst fire season in California’s recorded history keeps getting worse. Following a weekend of high temperatures and dry winds that blasted through parts of Northern California at more than 50 miles per hour, record-breaking blazes intensified and new fires ignited — including the […]

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, September 28. Controversial bills remain Gov. Gavin Newsom has just three days left to sign or veto some of the most high-profile and controversial bills of the legislative session — including a spate of proposals to police the police, a bill that would establish a state reparations committee, and a […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, September 25. Incoming: heat wave Another big heat wave is set to blanket California this weekend — bringing with it gusty winds, increased fire risk, unhealthy air quality and potential power shutoffs even as Californians reel from what is already the worst fire season in recorded history. Temperatures could spike […]

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, September 10. Orange skies, raging fires Just when it seemed like 2020 couldn’t get any more apocalyptic, millions of Northern California residents will likely spend their Thursday under a dark orange sky clouded with ash — just as they did yesterday. Catherine Geeslin, a San Francisco resident: “It feels like […]

Never has so much of California burned. And as powerful winds continue to blast the state, the likelihood of historic fires metastasizing and others exploding looms large for overworked firefighters and exhausted residents. In Southern California, strong Santa Ana winds could push the Bobcat fire toward homes in foothill communities. The fire, which is currently […]